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For more than a century, the fate of the dazzling Darya-e-Noor diamond has been sealed inside a bank vault -- a mystery that haunts Khawaja Naim Murad, descendant of the former princes, or Nawabs, of Dhaka.
Locked away in 1908, were the family's heirlooms lost during the violence at the end of British rule in 1947?
Did they survive Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971 and the string of coups that followed, or are they still safe, dusty but untouched?
Many suspect the jewels are long gone, and officials at the state-run bank hesitate to simply open the vault, fearing they'd carry the cost if it is empty.
But the cash-strapped South Asian government have now ordered a committee unseal the vault -- and Murad clings to hope.
"This is not a fairytale," said Murad, 55, recounting a story passed down from his father about the giant diamond dubbed the "River of Light", the centrepiece rock of glittering armband.
"The diamond was rectangular in shape and surrounded by more than half a dozen smaller diamonds," Murad told AFP.
It was part of a trove of 108 treasures. According to original court documents, they include a gold-and-silver sword encrusted with diamo
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Have You Heard
June 2024, Part
1
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~ Saad719 ~
The
Duchess of Kent
passed away at the age of 92 earlier this week. The Baronet’s daughter who married the late Queen’s first cousin and was a working royal for over 40 years before retiring from royal duties, the Duchess possessed some spectacular heirloom Jewels, and after
Queen Mary’s Diamond Crochet Bandeau
, today, we are featuring the historic
Cambridge Sapphire Parure
!
Continue reading →
~ Saad719 ~
Today marks the 105th Anniversary of the Death of
Grand Duchess Vladimir
, who passed away on this day in 1920! The Mecklenburg-Schwerin Duchess who married a Grand Duke, becoming an imperious Society Hostess and the last member of the Family to escape Russia, the Grand Duchess possessed a legendary jewellery collection, which included this spectacular
Sapphire and Diamond Necklace
!
Continue reading →
~ Saad719 ~
We received sad news that the
Duchess of Kent
has passed away at the age of 92. The Baronet’s daughter who married the late Queen’s first cousin and was a working royal for over 40 years before retiring from royal duties, the Duchess possessed some spectacular heirloom Jewels, which included
Queen Mary’s Diamond Crochet Ban